A Garden Lakes family lost their home late Tuesday night when a fire spread through the house as they were preparing for bed.

No one was hurt and all three occupants as well as three dogs were able to escape before the fire got out of control.

According to Rome-Floyd Fire Department Capt. Phil Litton:

Preliminary reports were that a possible electrical fire originated in the laundry room and ignited the blaze at 138 Glendale Road at approximately 10:35 p.m.

However, Litton said that the official cause is undetermined until after an investigation.

He said that there was an extensive amount of damage inside the house and the first firefighters on the scene reported that the fire was concentrated in the living room.

Jerry Potts said he and his wife, Tara, were watching television in their bedroom when the lights flickered. His wife had turned on the dryer earlier so he went to see if there was a problem.

“I opened the back door and the laundry room was just glowing,” Potts said.

His son, Brennan, 17, called 911 and, after failed attempts to extinguish the fire by fire extinguisher, Potts helped his family gather up their pets and get out of the house.

“It went quick,” Potts said. “My family and my pets are all I care about. I can always buy new stuff.”

The majority of the flames were extinguished by 11:15 p.m. and Litton said firefighters would stay at the scene for another two hours to douse any hot spots.

Potts said he and his family had accommodations for Tuesday night and would return in the morning to assess the damage.

Previously posted:

Rome-Floyd Fire Department crews responded to a late night house fire at the corner of Glendale and Benton roads in Garden Lakes on Tuesday.

The fire, reported at 138 Glendale Road, began at about 10:35 p.m. and was mostly extinguished by 11:30 p.m.

Few details were available late Tuesday evening, but early reports indicated the cause may have been electrical. Responders also reported hearing several small explosions inside the home.